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This blog will mainly focus on crime in and around Southwest Missouri....Winner Of Springfield Blogger's Association: ROOKIE BLOG OF THE YEAR 2009--WINNER News or Current Events Blog Of The Year 2010
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The recently filed federal lawsuit filed by Crane alderwoman Jessica White against the county, former sheriff Richard Hill and others in connection to an altercation with two Stone County deputies in May of 2012 has been settled.

The allegations in the federal lawsuit were that White, her husband Jordan and father-in-law Donnie White were unlawfully detained when Deputy Taylor Jenkins and former Deputy Brandon Flack used excessive force when arresting them. The incident stemmed from an unrelated arrest the deputies were making in the driveway of the White's home. The White's claim they were told they could not enter their home and when one of the deputies talked in a disparaging manner to Jessica White - Jordan White told him not to talk to his wife that way and the incident escalated.

The federal lawsuit named former deputy Brandon Flack, Deputy Taylor Jenkins, Stone County Missouri, former Sheriff Richard Hill, and the Stone County Commission as defendants.

According to those documents, "Sheriff Hill has trained, and/or allowed others to train, his deputies to use force, so as to create, and/or try to create, an atmosphere of “fear” by Stone County residents and citizens, in their interactions with Stone County deputies."

Other allegations said Hill offered "inadequate training and instruction of employees on the proper use of police power, proper investigation, proper initiation of criminal charges, proper use of force, and arrests," and that Hill allowed others to alter investigative reports. The White's former attorney Dale Wiley, who claimed police brutality in the White's arrests released a tape that was taken during the melee showing Donnie White and Jordan White being tasered repeatedly. Former Sheriff Richard Hill, Flack, Jenkins, et al (and others) filed a defamation lawsuit against the White's and Wiley. That case was dismissed without prejudice.

Flack has been named in several other lawsuits that allege he used excessive force while making arrests.

Jessica White suffered a knee injury that required surgery and, Jordan and Donnie White were also injured in the incident, according to court documents.

Presiding Commissioner Dennis Wood said he was notified that there had been a settlement with the five defendants last week, but he did not know the specific dollar amount that had been paid."We have a $10,000 deductible and will be billed by our insurance company," said Wood. "The commission was opposed to a settlement before a court order, but the insurance company decided to go ahead and settle."

The state trials of Jessica White, who was charged with misdemeanor assault of a law enforcement officer--Jordan White and Donnie White, who are each charged with resisting arrest, is scheduled to be held on September 5th.

5
comments:

Anonymous
said...

Stupid. They shouldn't get a penny. Insurance company caves and now tax payers foot the bill on the deductible because some whiners decide they want to fight with cops. To top it off, they'll all be found guilty criminally, and she stays in office. Pathetic !

I will refuse to call you "Anonymous" but instead call you "coward"! You clearly are in the minority on your opinion of this matter. Sheriff Hill was voted out months after this incident, Officer Flack "resigned" right before his former boss in Branson West (Rader) took office (Rader fired Flack in Branson for same misconduct) and the town of Crane rallied around the family and Mrs. White's peers elected to keep her in her position of employment and in city council. So Coward, I say to you: Toodles! Sincerely Dustin White.

Good for the Whites. Seems to me cops these days have little regard for peoples rights and manners when it comes to confrontations. Looks like the Whites are going to need this money for their current legal action.